Situational judgment items assess candidates’ KSAs and decision-making skills, which are not easily measured using traditional knowledge-based questions. Examinees are presented with realistic work-related scenarios and asked to choose the best of several possible strategies to resolve or address them.

“Field Test” Questions

The field test items on the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP exams will be interspersed randomly in the exams so that candidates will not know which they are. Examinees’ answers to field test questions will not count toward any part of their final exam scores.

Field-testing gathers data on a question’s effectiveness before it can be included on future exams as a scored item. This process facilitates SHRM’s efforts to continuously assess and improve all aspects of its certification program.